ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Using Indoor Air Quality Monitoring in 6 Counties to Change Policy in North Carolina

Policy

PM2.5 Level, μg/m3 (No. of Venues)

Buncombe (22)

Gilford (31)

Mecklenburg (34)

New Hanover (16)

Wake (33)

Watauga (16)

Smoke-free

14

15

11

8

14

22

Mixed

72

70

56

41

76

99

Smoking

194

187

143

459

175

248

Figure 1. Average levels of respirable suspended particles that are less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), by county and by secondhand smoke policy designation of the venues tested in the North Carolina Indoor Air Study, 2005-2007. The study teams assigned each venue a secondhand smoke policy based on written, verbal, or visual evidence of either 1) 100% smoke-free, 2) separate smoking and nonsmoking sections (mixed), or
3) smoking allowed in all areas.